RIYADH: With the arrival of Diriyah Storytelling Festival on Nov. 16, Al-Bujairi District has emerged as a hub of knowledge and culture, “a place where storytelling blends with setting,” according to a press release from the festival organizers. 

A district once famed for welcoming scholars and poets has found a natural extension of its intellectual spirit with the festival, attracting readers, authors, and other visitors eager to engage with storytelling.

Over the past few days, the festival — the theme of which is “Where Stories Live On” — has included talks exploring how writers draw on history “to illuminate hidden meanings and human experiences. Through discussions on identity and memory, participants have uncovered new perspectives on truth as interpreted by experts through a contemporary lens,” the press release stated.

Local and international storytellers have examined how historical figures can be reintroduced into the present day, and how interpretation can balance narrative authenticity with creative freedom. 

Workshops and interactive sessions have offered audiences deeper insight into descriptive and visual storytelling techniques, revealing how image and text complement each other and how rhythm can open new pathways to meaning.

At The Storyteller’s Forum, one of the festival’s key features, visitors can browse exhibits on a range of literature. Meanwhile, Majlis Ar-Rawi presents narratives inspired by Saudi memory, and “reflecting the values that have shaped Diriyah’s identity and history through the ages.”

The Tell Us a Story experience has attracted participants eager to record their personal memories at the festival, while Who Is the Storyteller? and Diriyah Between the Lines both introduce innovative ways to engage with texts beyond traditional forms.

The festival runs until Nov. 29 and is open daily from 5 p.m. Over that time, more than 40 workshops sessions and panels — in both Arabic and English — will be held, in addition to around 20 inspiring talks with contributions from more than 30 storytellers.

Diriyah Storytelling Festival is part of Diriyah Season 25/26, which is being held this year under the theme “Your Pride, Your Place.” 

Diriyah Season includes a range of diverse interactive experiences, live performances, and art exhibitions, all shedding light on Diriyah’s rich cultural and economic heritage. 

The festival serves, according to its organizers, as “an open invitation to connect with Saudi Arabia’s celebrated past and discover the beauty of its present in an atmosphere filled with authenticity and tradition.”